Ep. 31: “It’s All Necessary” with John Blase
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ABOUT THE EPISODE
Pastor-turned-poet and literary agent John Blase tells his story of how an unforeseen season of change disrupted not only his career and family, but also his identity and lens on faith. John reflects on what he thought his fifties would look like, the losses that seemed to stack up, and what happened when the dominoes fell. In this conversation, Sarah and John discuss what it looks like to wade through grief, embodied prayer, having compassion for our younger selves, and more.
MEET THE GUEST
John Blase preached for over a decade but then thought he’d go where the money is, so he started writing poetry. He’s a lucky man with a beautiful wife and three kids who look like their mother. In 2021, he began work as a literary agent for The Bindery in Colorado Springs, while continuing to do freelance work as a writer/editor. And while he lives out West, he’ll always be from the South. His books include The Jubilee: Poems, Know When To Hold ‘Em: The High Stakes Game of Fatherhood, Touching Wonder: Recapturing the Awe of Christmas, and All is Grace: A Ragamuffin Memoir (with Brennan Manning).
EPISODE NOTES
Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel (Colorado Springs, CO)
Eugene Peterson’s The Message Bible
The Bindery (a literary agency founded by Alex Field)
The Lord’s Prayer (found in Matthew 6:9-13)
Anthony Bourdain
What John is reading:
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain
Connect with John:
Twitter: @johnblase
Instagram: @jdblase
Website: johnblase.com
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